November 29, 2010

Air Quotes: WTF Did They Say?

Some choice quotes from the WTFs to round out the ATP year:

Q. To jump to the No. 1 position in the world, will you have to attack more?

ANDY MURRAY: I think against certain guys. When I played Roger and Rafa the last few times I played them, I played very aggressive tennis. That's what you need to do against them. Against some guys you need to defend more.

You know, if you play against a guy that serves 140 miles an hour on the first serve, you can't attack. So you need to balance it depending on the opponent, depending on the match, the stage of the match.

I think I've improved that side of my game. I've worked on serve-volleying, you know, in some matches the last few weeks. I think I've attacked a lot better towards the end of this year than I was at the beginning.

...

Q. So if you weren't obligated to be on the other side of the net, fair to say [Rafa's] your kind of an athlete, your kind of guy?

ANDY RODDICK: Well, as far as what? Do I think he's cute?

Q. Are you seeing new dimensions to his game or is this a good tennis player the same way he was in 2008 or whatever?

ANDY RODDICK: I mean, I think he's always getting better. But the thing is, I don't think he's ever gotten -- I mean, everyone thinks of him as topspin or runner. He's always been able to hit well at net. The nuances aren't past him. He plays great slice.

I think, if anything, his serve is probably improving. You know, but if you compare Rafa now to '05, '06, when he was winning the French, it's night and day, him being able to play offensively consistently.

The first time he won the French, I think he retrieved a lot. Now it's a different story with the way he's able to step up, hit the ball, control, dictate play.

...

Q. You've had lots of spells in your career when you've had a coach and spells where you've been on your own. How difficult is it when you have nobody to sort of bounce things off with after the game?

ROGER FEDERER: [Andy] has people I'm sure he can bounce off ideas. He has his friends, his team that has been with him for a long time, his mom, his girlfriend. Who knows? It sometimes doesn't take tactical advice. It maybe takes more of - how do you say - just a feel-good talk can be plenty or just a nice dinner. That can make the trick.

Tennis is not rocket science. You know, it's pretty straightforward. I think he's going to turn around and come back and play a real good match in the next round, so I have no doubt about it.

...

Q. You just seemed very flat out there from the outset. Your body language, everything, just gave the impression you weren't mentally quite tuned in.

ANDY MURRAY: I think it's something where, you know, if I went out there and I smashed the racquet or started shouting, I'd come in and everyone would say to me, You were in a bad mood today, mentally you weren't strong enough.

To me I didn't feel flat on the court. Maybe it's just very different to what you're used to seeing from me. But, you know, that's something that I'm trying to work on, to not let my emotions sort of control how I'm playing. I just tried to stay calm, tried to find a way, and it didn't happen today. But I didn't feel flat on the court at all.

...

Q. Knowing that Novak probably had trouble with his eye, was it sort of distracting for you also?

RAFAEL NADAL: Was more distracting for him than for me, no?

...

Q. You said the umpire asked you to hurry up between points. That's not the first time that has happened.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, is the number 100 (smiling).

Q. What do you think of that criticism of you, that you are too slow between points?

RAFAEL NADAL: If I am slow, I am slow, and umpire is right (laughter). I don't have one opinion against that, no? Because if I am late, I am late, and I have to be faster. That's true.

...

Q. Better to break the racquet than the foot. Can you explain why you were angry with the umpire. There was a Hawk-Eye decision. Was there something I didn't understand?

ANDY RODDICK: No. I was angry with myself and there wasn't anybody else to talk to at that moment.

...

Q. In terms of psychological learning, do you think this season was a bit different for you, where you had to deal with some harsh realities like, Perhaps I am not as ahead of the other guys as I thought, something like that?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, I won the Australian Open right off the bat at the beginning. That kind of keeps you going for a few months. That you sometimes lose close matches, that can happen. I had a lung infection in February. I only played a handful of matches all the way to Madrid really. You can't really say I was playing horrible. I was just losing some close matches. Next thing you know, it's like you lose in the quarters at the French Open, everybody makes a big deal about it. Then half of the season is almost over.

Yeah, so that's why I decided to play more at the end of the season. Paid off. Won a lot of matches. Now the tone is very different in my game, in the press room.

...

Q. Even after today, you still think that [Rafa is a good sportsman]?

TOMAS BERDYCH: I mean, he didn't do anything wrong. I mean, don't do anything that I said something wrong against Rafa. It was just one call in the game. Nothing happened. Of course, he deserves it.

...

Q. Was your eye okay tonight? Did you ever find out what the problem was? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It was a contact lenses. It's all right now, yeah. I glued them to my eyes (smiling).

...

Q. Do you feel next season you might sort of copy Federer's example and take more breaks during the season?

ANDY RODDICK: I guess the first thing that popped into my mind was I played less tournaments this year than I ever have before.

...

Q. Earlier in the week, Boris Becker said you probably have to play at a higher level to win a Masters Cup than a Grand Slam. Would you agree with that?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it's a different type of tournament, playing first up against a top-10 player is not something that's going to happen at a Grand Slam, except if you're going to come down to Australia next year, and I play Juan Martin Del Potro. That would be nice (smiling).

...

Q. Which are your thoughts on Rafa in the on-court interview said that the British crowd shouldn't be putting all the pressure on you to win a Grand Slam?

ANDY MURRAY: I don't think it's the public that puts pressure on me, to be honest (laughter). To me, the support that I got on the court today meant a lot. I just think it makes a huge difference. I didn't feel at any point today like the crowd were putting any pressure on me at all. If anything, it was, yeah, less pressure. They got right behind me, especially when I was down, when I came back into the match. If I was a British person and I came to the match, I'd want to applaud all of Rafa's good shots because he's a great, great guy to watch. I thought the support for both of us was excellent tonight.

But, no, it's not the British public, I don't think, that puts pressure on me.

...

Q. You are losing these excellent contests against Rafa. Are you doing anything special when you play against him? Any specific things you're trying to implement?

ANDY MURRAY: I just love playing against him. For me, as a sportsman, I think he's -- I don't know if there's been many better than him ever in terms of the way he conducts himself. His whole team that he works with is incredibly nice. I have a lot of respect for him. When I play against him, I really, really enjoy it.

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Air Quotes: WTF Did They Say?

Some choice quotes from the WTFs to round out the ATP year:

Q. To jump to the No. 1 position in the world, will you have to attack more?

ANDY MURRAY: I think against certain guys. When I played Roger and Rafa the last few times I played them, I played very aggressive tennis. That's what you need to do against them. Against some guys you need to defend more.

You know, if you play against a guy that serves 140 miles an hour on the first serve, you can't attack. So you need to balance it depending on the opponent, depending on the match, the stage of the match.

I think I've improved that side of my game. I've worked on serve-volleying, you know, in some matches the last few weeks. I think I've attacked a lot better towards the end of this year than I was at the beginning.

...

Q. So if you weren't obligated to be on the other side of the net, fair to say [Rafa's] your kind of an athlete, your kind of guy?